Reduce your product consumption and help save the planet!

The Working Green Committee is a reuse leader on campus. Our Choose to Reuse events, held once a month during the academic year, provide a venue for our community to share clean, reusable goods. The primary goal of the event is to teach people that you don’t have to buy new. Reusing is better for your wallet and the planet.

In addition to the Choose to Reuse events, there are other venues to get free items, or purchase items at low prices.

Join the Reusable Revolution

Use your own cups, mugs, plates and utensils

Most single use items are not recyclable and must go in the trash. Reduce the amount of trash by having your own eating ware. Keep supplies in your office for all to use during lunch. Even better, bring your own eating ware with you to meetings.

MIT Reuse lists

Reuse is a group email list for exchanging free and for-sale items located at MIT or within the greater Boston area. To post, you need only send an email to the list, but be sure to read through the rules of use before posting.

• reuse@mit.edu: to post availability of free items—laboratory or computer equipment, clothing, household items, office supplies, etc.

• reuse-ask@mit.edu: to ask for items like the above

• reuse-sell@mit.edu: to sell items

• reuse-housing@mit.edu: to ask for or offer housing

To subscribe to the MIT reuse list, go to http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/reuse

Before posting MIT materials on reuse@mit.edu make sure items with MIT Property Office stickers are deactivated (contact the Property Office at 3-2779). Also, please clean up any unclaimed items and dispose of them properly. Do not leave items in the hallway of your office building. The Recycling crew will remove MIT items for you at no charge and will reuse them if possible. Submit a request via the Atlas web page.

Extra food

What to do with leftovers from a meeting or event? There are two email addresses you can post to: freefood@mit.edu and vultures@mit.edu. Send an email to either or both lists when there is food leftover. In your email indicate whether people should bring their own container to carry the food away.

RHEAPLY:

MIT's new surplus materials sharing technology. Sign up to join the Rheaply pilot: rheaply.mit.edu

MIT Equipment Exchange

MIT Equipment Exchange holds surplus lab, computer, and office furniture for reuse within the Institute. Items not claimed for on campus transfer are sold to the general public for reasonable prices. For more information, contact the Property Office at 617-253-2779.

MIT Furniture Exchange

MIT Student Furniture Exchange (FX), a service of the Women's League since 1958, sells used furniture at bargain prices. All profits benefit the MIT Women's League Scholarship Fund. In order to continue this valuable service, the FX is always in need of donations of good, useable furniture, including sofas, chairs, tables, desks, beds, dressers, lamps, rugs, small appliances, cooking utensils, dishes, children's items, bikes, and more. All donations are tax-deductible and arrangements can be made for large items to be picked up. Contact: Phone: 617-253-4293, or e-mail fx@mit.edu.

Trash2Treasure

An annual reuse project, Trash2Treasure, is a two-part program sponsored by the UA Sustainability Committee. The goal is to reduce the amount that goes into landfills by reusing. Materials are collected from undergraduate residence halls during the end-of-year move-out and sold at a Fall Reuse Sale at the start of the fall semester when the students come to campus. Items not taken are given to Choose to Reuse for the September event and donated to charity.

Swapfest

The MIT Radio Society sponsors a Swapfest (aka "Flea @ MIT") on the third Sunday of each month, April through October. Buy, sell, and swap amateur radio, electronic, and computer equipment.